The Glow Recipe Cofounders Share Their Beauty And Skincare Predictions For 2019

No one in the beauty world has a crystal ball to predict what trends are next, but Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, the Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Glow Recipe, might be the closest thing. After all, their line has been a smash success, proving they have their fingers on the pulse. “When we first sought out to build Glow Recipe, we saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between Korean brands and the US consumer,” says Lee. “By utilizing our bicultural and bilingual beauty backgrounds, we saw the potential for Korean Beauty to skyrocket into a league of its own. At the time, we felt that a lot of K-Beauty brands were not being brought over with enough storytelling, education, and content, so we wanted to ensure that we would educate consumers on trends, best-in-class skincare, and make them accessible to the American consumer.” Lee and Chang share their biggest beauty and skincare predictions for 2019.

Polyhydroxy Acids (PHAs). “During my most recent trip to Korea, I saw PHAs everywhere,” Lee says. “I saw PHA serums and moisturizers all over shelves in Korea. I knew it was going to be the latest trendy ingredient that we would definitely leverage in our new launch. Most beauty lovers know about AHAs and their benefits, but we like to think of PHAs as second generation AHAs. PHAs are larger and gentler, so they take longer to penetrate into the skin but are just as effective as AHAs. They are able to exfoliate, regenerate, and hydrate the skin at the same time. We chose to feature PHAs in our new Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask because overnight treatments are an effective way to treat the skin and we felt that it was the best way to introduce a gentle yet effective exfoliating mask to our customers.”

Sarah Lee (left) and Christine Chang, the Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Glow RecipeCourtesy of Glow Recipe

Multitasking products. “We predict there will be new ways to utilize multi-purpose products so that consumers can maximize their time and money, like the Jullai Super 12 Bounce Essence Oil Toner, which is a toner and serum in one easy step,” Lee says. “Within the cleanser category, we are foreseeing a shift from the standard double cleansing method to products with transformative textures and new formats, such as the Harumada Triple Balance One-Step Cleansing Foam Pad, which is an essence and water to foam formula that both cleanses and gently tones the skin.”

Overnight treatments. “One trend that we see on the rise is the extension of the sleep category with products that will maximize beauty sleep, as there is so much potential for skincare to help regenerate skin overnight,” says Chang.

Slimming skincare. “There have been skincare launches, like the Private Doctor Minus Serum that I just started using, that’s inspired by cutting edge in-office treatments,” Lee says. “We definitely see a crossover of skincare products that aim to naturally contour and alter skin—it features sodium deoxycholate, an ingredient used in slimming procedures, and I haven’t seen this in any other skincare product before.”

Super skincare. “Nowadays, women look to maximize skincare benefits, so in 2019 we see them doubling up on their serums in order to address multiple skin concerns,” Chang says. “In addition, we have been noticing an increased trend of skincare in pad formats for easy use, and masks that aim to use LED technology to fight bacteria.”

Facial mists. “In Korea, women are more particular about avoiding ‘heater face’ which is the idea that heaters naturally dry out your skin,” Chang says. “As a result, we think that mists will be a category that is utilized to fight this skin concern, as well as become a regular layering step within one’s regimen in order to seal and soften skin.”

Single ingredient formulas. “After seeing this for years in Korea, we definitely think formulas with high concentrations of single ingredients will be bigger next year,” Lee says. “We have always been passionate about this concept, which is why so much of Glow Recipe Skincare aims to harness the food power of the fruits we carefully select. Our Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask is 74% of four forms of avocado, using avocado flesh, extract, oil and butter, and our cult-favorite Watermelon Glow Pink Juice is 90% watermelon! We already see this trend happening as there have been launches this year that contain high concentrations of mushrooms and other superfoods.”

For more of my stories on beauty, grooming and fashion, check out my page at Forbes. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter.